Austria - E-Government Strategy 2023

The E-Government Strategy 2023 was adopted by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) in March 2023. The aim is to meet the needs of citizens, entrepreneurs and administrative staff and take into account current technological needs. 

The e-government strategy focuses on the ‘Citizens’, ‘Enterprise’, ‘Administration’, ‘Overall Architecture and Basic Components’. This focus should be given to implementing the vision in a targeted manner through appropriate initiatives. The visions in each thematic area include the following aspects: 

• Citizens: Digital services are provided to citizens in a user-friendly and accessible way, saving time and effort. Protection of digital identities and open communication will also be promoted, while end-to-end and cross-border digital services allow for simplified management.
• Businesses: Digital services are user-centric, multi-device and accessible in multiple languages. Companies can access and manage their data in a secure way. Stored data are reused as much as possible through secure and efficient data management and only missing data are requested (once-only principle). Appropriate framework conditions promote the attractiveness of the business location for innovative businesses and support Austria’s digital sovereignty in the European context. It also offers opportunities to improve digital skills.
• Administration: Administrative staff are supported by easy-to-use, accessible and intuitive services that can be accessed by standardised access wherever they are located. The administration follows national and international standards, ensures security and data protection, uses new technologies such as automation and promotes the cross-cutting use of existing data. Digital sovereignty in the European context is promoted through a digitalisation-friendly legal framework, as well as technology-neutral education and knowledge management for administrative staff.
• Overall architecture and basic components: Sustainable and open architectures enable connected and interoperable digital services with modern user experience. The overall architecture is coordinated across Europe and is ensured by agreed governance that meets the expectations of users and preserves the confidentiality, availability and integrity of the data.

Planned initiatives to increase digital skills and competences:

• Ensure citizens with the digital skills that each target group needs in order to use the services.
• Offer ways of building up and extending digital skills in business sector, along with training and certification opportunities.
• Support and improve the digital skills of people of all generations.
• Support administrative agencies in developing digital skills to deal with critical services and critical infrastructure in-house, so as to ensure continuity in their interactions with the market.

In line with the vision, different initiatives have been identified along the four fields of impact in order to increase the trust of users and meet their needs. This includes proactive, personalised information, privacy protection, digital identity and representation management, as well as a networked service portal infrastructure and flexible governance. The promotion of digital sovereignty, the standardisation of operational structures and the creation of regulatory sandboxes are further steps to achieve the vision. 

Here you can find the E-Government Strategy in English.